Process of fireproofing roofing materials.



HENDRIX DUBBEIIIDAM, HZN., QF GORINCI-IEM, NETHERLANDS.

PROCESS OF FIREPROOFIN'G ROOFING MATERIALS.

No Drawing.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 23, 1913.

Application filed May 11, 1912. Serial No. 696,670.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Harman; DUBBELDAM, Hzn., a citizen of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, residing at Gorinchem, Net-herlarly the thatch used for roofing purposesin order to render these materials of superior quality. The material resulting from the present process is proof against fire but has the appearance of thatch which has not been treated so that a roof made from the treated material has the appearance of the ordinary thatch roof. A roof made of the treated material moreover permits the escape of air and of odors from the building to which applied while still protecting the interior of the building.

The process of fireproofing the thatch ac cording to the present invention is carried out as follows: After being cleaned from any dust and dirt the thatch is placed in a tub filled with a solution of common salt and salammoniac. After being sufiicient-ly impregnated with this solution, the thatch is taken out and, after being air-dried, placed in a bath of ammoniacal water in which gypsum and river silt or sediment havebeensuspended and partially dissolved. Being saturated herewith andcovered with a thin coat of the suspended materials, it is spread out and exposed to sun and wind in order to dry out quickly. After having thoroughly dried out the thatch is put through another process'. Tied into bundles it is plunged in asbestos-pulp and quickly taken out again by which each stalk is covered with a thin coat of asbestos firmly attached to it without causing the first coat to scale. This asbestos-pulp consists of asbestos fines mixed with water to form a pulp. Afterihaving dried for the second time the thatch is ready for use.

Should the thatch be used only for roof covering it suflices when putting the material through the second process, to dip the stalks tied into bundles,.w1th the lower ends down,

' only for a portion of their length into the asbestos-pulp and to take them out immediately.

An entirely fire-proof roof to be covered with this thatch is best built in the following manner: In the first place it is advantageous to replace the supporting lattice'wm'k by galvanized iron wire as far as possible and to use the latter also for fastening the thatch. Over this wire-lath a thinlayer of thatch is spread out. This so-called first layer should be of uniform thickness throughout, and the stalks should have been plunged completely in the asbestos-pulp. By this means the roof is fully protected from taking fire from the inside, so that any interior -fire is prevented as long as possible from breaking forth. On this first layer the thatch is applied in layers of about 6 c. In. thickness until the whole thatching has a thickness of 20 to25 c. m. In this way the asbestos-coated lower ends of the thatch are at the outside.

In order to increase the safety against fire, thin layers of slag-wool or of similar incombustible material may be interposed (though strictly superfluous) between the different thatch-layers of 6 c. m. thickness, which do not interfere with the covering and do not mar the esthetic appearance of the roof.

. The process is not confined to thatch only,

but may be applied to all kinds of similar material such as wood, cane, etc. a

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said ln vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that What- I claim is:

1. A process of fireproofing thatch and other fibrous material which comprises inimersing such material in an ammoniacal bath containing river sediment and gypsum in suspension and drying the treated material.

2. The process of fireproofing thatch and other fibrous material which comprises treating such material with a solution of common salt and sol-ammoniac, immersing the material in an ammoniacal bath containing river sediment and gypsum in suspension, and drying the treated material.

3. The process of fireproofing thatch and other fibrous material which comprises immersing the same in a, pulp made of finely divided asbestos and water, and drying the treated material. I

4. The process of fireproofing thatch and other fibrous material which comprises in) mersing the thatch in an emmoniacel bath pontaimhg river sediment and gypsum in suspension, subsequently treating the mate'- rial with e pulp of finely divided asbestos 10 Q HENDRIX DUTBBELDAM, HZN.

Witnesses L. Koor, M. BAKER. 

